Sunshine
by CandleStyx
Summary: What happens when ChuChu falls in love with Anthy? *chp.8 is up*...Please R+R! (I'd really appreciate it)
1. Prologue

1 Prologue  
  
Chu Chu:  
  
The sun rises each day, showering us with warmth, and then sets to make way for the night. Then, for 12 hours, we wait in darkness until mother sky gives birth to that glorious light again. Every one gets the same amount, no more, no less. But, don't you wish that you could have your own private sunshine? Something you could keep bottled up and all to yourself? To enjoy without anyone around?  
  
This is what it seems like to be loved. You have a special "sunshine" that is all yours that lights the very abyss of the heart. They fill you with joy until you want to just pull them into your arms and show them how much you care.  
  
I have had no personal experience with this love thing, but being small allows me access to places where you humans can't see me so I've watched couples when they think they are alone. Soaked up what they say to one another. "I'm sorry I hurt you sweetheart. Can you ever forgive me? I love you, really I do. Don't leave me." Is love really that important to you humans that you will expend energy fighting to keep it? It seems to be anyway. Often I wonder what it would be like to be loved like that. I'm not talking about the love one has for a pet (which I know) but that unconditional I-would-die-for-you love. Something like what the prince Utena and my master Anthy have. I see the way Utena looks at her, like Anthy's very presence makes her want to…melt or something.  
  
Sometimes I really am jealous of them, of what they've become. I mean, I love Anthy because she protects me and takes care of me, but lately it seems like maybe I… really love her. I've heard humans talk about that "feeling" they get when their in love. That nearly indescribable, light as the air feeling that brings them to their knees with want. I think I've felt that. Like when Anthy tucked me into bed with her the other night and I was lying on the spot just below her neck, I was suddenly aware of things. Like, her face framed by the moonlight from the open window. Her hair spread out on top of the pillow, small wisps of it brushing my face. Her heart beating rhythmically in time with my own. It just felt so right. I felt like I never wanted to be apart from her again. Just her and me. Together forever. 


	2. Confessions by moonlight

Anthy:  
  
Today is such a beautiful day. The sun is shining and I feel like nothing can go wrong …although I have a small voice of doubt in my head. I don't know, but it just seems like something bad is going to happen soon. Utena assured me that whatever it is, she would protect me, but it might be beyond that. God, I just hope everything is alright…  
  
This morning I woke up to my alarm, blinked my tired eyes several times and yawned slightly, drawing in fresh air. I hit the STOP button on the alarm and turned towards Utena. She was still asleep. She was beautiful when she slept too. All that curly hair around her face and an almost angelic expression. I leaned across the space between us, put my arms around her and pulled her close, breathing her in. I heard a groggy voice say, "Anthy? What are you doing? Its too early."  
  
"For what?"  
  
I felt her shrug and reply, "For whatever you're doing to me," and she giggled, her voice cracking from tiredness, her eyes still closed. Now she opened one and looked at me, smiling.  
  
"Good morning Miss Utena. Do you want to be late for school?" I asked quietly, running my fingers through her hair.  
  
She suddenly grabbed my fingers, stopping their procession. "Anthy?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"What's for breakfast?"  
  
I rolled my eyes and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll make some omelets today. Is that alright?"  
  
"Yep," she said, sitting up and unbuttoning her pajama shirt, sliding it down her thin shoulders. I blushed slightly, turned over, sat up and looked around the room.  
  
I shivered. It seemed to be a lot colder in here than normal. That's when I realized the window was wide open. I watched as it swung back and forth slowly as a breeze toyed with it, creaking softly and casting distorted light patterns across my rumpled sheets. I could have sworn I had only opened a little bit last night. I got up slowly and walked toward it, drawn in by its hypnotic swaying. Back and forth. Back and forth. Creeeeeeeak.  
  
When I reached it I looked up at the morning sun. Its rays felt so good on my skin, warming me up, but I got that feeling again that something was wrong. I struggled to pinpoint the cause of my distress. Then it hit me. Oh shit. I whirled around and bumped into Utena who by now was dressed and coming to meet me at the window. She saw my face and her own twisted with worry. "What's the matter?"  
  
I looked away. "ChuChu's gone."  
  
  
  
ChuChu:  
  
I hadn't been able to sleep all night. Anthy, Utena and myself had called it a day at 8:56pm and now the clock was fast approaching 3am but my eyes stayed plastered open. I guessed it was because I couldn't stop thinking about a certain person…do you know how hard it is not to tell someone you're starting to like him or her more than a friend? To be with them day in and out but keeping something like…say, your love for them, built up inside? I think if I don't stop this soon, I'll explode. Or maybe I'll implode. Disappear off the face of this miserable earth, never to be seen again. God, life's a bitch when you're a little monkey. I can't even talk to Anthy much less tell her how I feel. There's also the fact that she's human. And I'm most definitely not. I hate this. A lot.  
  
I needed to get out of the bed. I was sort of nestled in the pillow (and some of Anthy's hair) awkwardly and besides that it was sort of stuffy. The window was open a small crack but not much air was circulating through the room. I couldn't breathe. I needed to go somewhere to think about things too. I ran through a list of places where no one would be at this hour. The most obvious one kept tugging at my mind, screaming and pushing at my thoughts. Anthy's rose garden above the school.  
  
I decided in favor of it and got up from my place on the pillow. The silk cover was smooth and I slipped on it, nearly tumbling headlong into Anthy's chest. The very thought sent shivers through my spine and if monkeys could blush I would have been like a flashing red beacon with ears. I fell onto Anthy's arm instead and there was a brief moment where my heart was beating so hard with fear that I wouldn't have been surprised if she had heard it. When I was sure she was still asleep, I regained my composure and leaped to the wood floor. Thump. I glanced back up at the bed with my ears twitching to make sure they hadn't woken up this time, but there was no movement. I breathed a sigh of relief and then (after taking another deep breath) scurried across the room, nails clicking softly, towards the window. The window itself was pretty low to the ground so I was able to jump from the floor to the sill in only two tries. The only problem was that Utena hadn't left much of an opening for me to slip through (even if I was small). I pushed it but it didn't open much more so I kept on pushing until finally, by sheer luck, a breeze caught it and it swung open, allowing me access to the outside world.  
  
I jumped from the sill to the soft dirt below the window and waited a couple seconds before taking off into the night. I ran and ran, never stopping. I could vaguely remember reaching the steps and beginning the exhausting climb but my mind was focused on other things. Suddenly I was there, through the gate and collapsing in a flurry of rose petals at the edge of the garden. I turned over on my back and took in everything my senses were noticing. The sweet smell of the roses. The sounds of the trickling fountain. The stars overhead. The full moon was so beautiful that I was mystified by its brilliance. As it cast a ghostly light over my fur, something popped into my mind. I wondered if Anthy ever looked up at it when she watered her garden at night. A pang of sadness hit me when I thought about the fact that she probably wouldn't notice or care that I was gone for a while.  
  
Lying there and breathing slowly, I realized how tired I was. How weird, that I had come here because I couldn't sleep and now I couldn't even keep my eyes open. I felt myself drifting in and out of that place where dreams are born, my body enveloped in a veil of drowsiness.  
  
One fleeting thought passed through my mind before I gave in to the night. It was something (I later figured out) that I had wanted all along but wouldn't let myself admit. Something that would be essential to make Anthy love me too. I guessed it was what I had really come here to do. To finally come to terms with it.  
  
I wanted to be human. 


	3. Awaken

Utena:  
  
School was so damn boring today. I had three tests to take and not to mention the crap load of homework I got. This morning sucked as well. Anthy was (and still is) freaking out because she couldn't find ChuChu. She even went so far as to blame me for making him feel unwelcome. Unwelcome? I swear that little bastard has it out for me. He probably ran away on purpose just so Anthy would get pissed at me. What did I ever do to him? Just because I'm engaged to his master doesn't mean he isn't still important to her. That's the trouble with pets. They're just too frigging possessive. Nevertheless, I told Anthy I was sure he would turn up later that day but she, on the verge of tears, refused to believe me and said that he's never going to come back and proceeded to tell me other reasons why it was my fault. I mean, I love her a lot and I hate when we fight (especially over something as stupid as this) but I'm sticking to the belief that it was most assuredly not my fault.  
  
Wakaba:  
  
Anthy and Utena weren't talking in class today. I wonder what's wrong?  
  
ChuChu:  
  
The sun was high in the sky by the time I woke up. Its rays were glaring on my fur and I felt like I was roasting slowly. How long had I been asleep? It must have been 11 or 12 o'clock. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have the sun directly in them but they haggardly fluttered open again when I felt slender fingertips stroking my stomach. Startled, I looked up and saw a girl's face. The sun shielded her features for a second and I crazily thought (and hoped) it was Anthy. It wasn't. In fact, I had never even seen this girl before. It was strange that I didn't hear her coming up behind me too…. She had long blonde hair that was curled at the ends and her perfect body was dressed in the Ohtori high school uniform, puffy sleeves and all. She was on her stomach looking down on me, smiling. There was something strange about her smile, like it was that of a dragon smiling at a traveler he hoped to eat.  
  
"You've been asleep for so long, little ChuChu," she said, her pale green eyes laughing at me.  
  
Wait, how did she know my name? I suddenly snapped wide-awake.  
  
"I know everything about you ChuChu. Everything," she said somewhat icily. She shifted slightly in the roses and put her mouth close to my ear, her lips almost touching me, and whispered, "I know that last night you made a wish to the moon," she paused to touch a finger to my nose, "you wished you were human so… you could be with Anthy, yes?" she took her finger away and looked into my eyes. "You really love her, huh?"  
  
I jumped up and ran across the garden as fast as I possibly could. Not once did I look back. 


	4. Apprehension

DISCLAIMER!!!!!: I don't own Utena. Never have. Never will. Got that? Gooooood. Now on to Chapter 3 of my fic.  
  
Author's note: I plan to write another Utena fic soon. If you all don't want me to because I suck, please say so in a review. Likewise, if you want me to, then say so in a review. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who reads my fic. Thanks a ton!  
  
  
  
Chp.3  
  
Anthy:  
  
I've had the worst day. This morning I couldn't find ChuChu and now Utena and I are fighting. All I did was casually mention that maybe he left to get away from her (they don't get along very well) and she totally blew up at me and walked out saying she was going to be late (class didn't start for another half-hour). We haven't talked since then. How are we going to stand being engaged if we can't even talk about something this stupid? Then, when she came home, she went straight to the bedroom and locked the door. I tried talking to her through the door but she didn't answer. I just knew something bad would happen. Maybe when I find ChuChu this will all blow over with Utena. I wonder where he went? Whatever. I need to go up to the rose garden and water for a while to clear my head.  
  
ChuChu:  
  
How did she know? How the hell could she have known?  
  
After the "encounter" in the garden, I ran all the way to the wall of the high school building but no further. I was too exhausted. I sat there breathing hard and felt my parched throat start burning. I needed to find Anthy badly.  
  
I don't know who in the name of God that girl was but there's something really…wrong about her. She couldn't have known. She just couldn't have. I'm positive I was alone up there and its not like I can talk anyway, so what was she listening to? My thoughts?  
  
Utena:  
  
There was a new girl in my history class today. I think she said her name was…Tsuki Unmei? * (or something along those lines). I'm surprised I didn't even notice her at first, even though she sits right next to me. I guess its because she sorta has one of those faces that easily disappears in a crowd, you know? She's pretty cute, for someone so inconspicuous. She's a kinda weird though. She wouldn't stop staring at me when we were talking. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Besides that, class was pretty normal except for when I accidentally bumped into Anthy after coming in and she just looked down at my feet and walked to her desk really fast.  
  
I shouldn't have gotten mad at her this morning. I mean, she was just upset about ChuChu and that probably made her extremely irritable and all. Geez, this engaged thing is harder than it seems. Much harder.  
  
::Flashback mode::  
  
I sat down in my seat near the back of the class and put my head on the inviting desk preparing for a midday nap. I hadn't closed my eyes for more than 2 seconds before I felt a tap on my shoulder and an anxious whisper. "Are you asleep Utena Tenjou?"  
  
I brought my head up a little, turned it and looked a blonde girl in the face. She was smiling.  
  
"Almost," I mumbled irritably. "How do you know my name?"  
  
Her smile widened and she said, "Wakaba told me all about you and you seemed quite interesting so I just had to come over and say hi." She ran a hand through her short, almost spiky hair.  
  
Leave it to Wakaba to tell all my business. I sat up (despite the screams of "sleep!" coming from my mind) and smiled back. She was sitting in the desk beside me (I thought no was there when I came in…?) and now had her hands folded gracefully over her books. There was a noticeable silence.  
  
"So…what's your name?" I asked, trying desperately to make small talk.  
  
Her face suddenly became serious. "Tsuki," she replied, never taking her eyes off mine. Honestly, it was a little creepy.  
  
I laughed, somewhat nervously. "Got a last name?"  
  
"Unmei." There was a long silence again. I looked down at my hands and cracked my knuckles (for lack of anything better to do).  
  
When I looked back up, Tsuki was smiling again. She acted like nothing had happened. "What's the matter Utena? Are you mad that you and Anthy aren't talking?"  
  
I was taken aback and stuttered out "How do you know about that?"  
  
She shrugged. "Wakaba."  
  
"I should have known." I was still unsure of her statement though…  
  
Tsuki giggled. "I think you and Anthy are so cute together."  
  
"You do?" Most people were shocked that I was engaged to someone who shared my sex and could pull a sword from her chest. I forgot my wariness for a moment.  
  
"Yep. 'Love knows no gender' right?"  
  
I had heard that saying before. "Yeah, I guess."  
  
"Well, I'm gonna go talk to more people now, okay? See you around." She started getting up and added, "I have a feeling we're going to be close, Utena," and she grabbed my hand out of my lap, pulling me up somewhat, and touched it to her heart, "I know because I feel it in here."  
  
I was too surprised to do anything more than nod at her.  
  
She finally let go of my hand and started walking off, her short green skirt bouncing in time with her steps. I watched her go across the classroom, unable to take my eyes away, until she stopped in front of…Anthy. I looked away and forced myself to focus on the desk. Then, the ceiling. Floor. Anthy. Door. Teacher. Anthy. Desk. Anthy. Sadness flooded my heart. This was really getting pathetic.  
  
::End flashback::  
  
Anyway, I can't go on like this. I need to talk to Anthy. I think she might be in her garden now, watering.  
  
*Tsuki = moon and Unmei = destiny  
  
Anthy:  
  
I love my garden. It's so inviting and big and I could just lose myself in it forever. I wish it was that easy, but I can't run to it every time something happens. Not like the time when Utena found me there and we danced underneath the stars.  
  
I climbed the cracked steps quickly, the wind pushing at me in protest and sending my long hair flying. I must have gone up these steps a thousand times at least but each time was like a new adventure as I anticipated the escape that awaited me at the top. I even had to stop for a moment due to the impatient butterflies in my stomach about to tear me apart. After a couple of breaths, I continued the journey. Step up, up, up.  
  
I walked underneath the iron gate, the rose emblem glaring down on me, and into the garden itself. It seemed to stretch on endlessly and its beauty temporarily overtook me. A sudden breeze whipped through it and petals surrounded me.  
  
As the petals swirled around me, I reached out and took one in my hand. I ran my finger down it softly, feeling just how soft and fragile it was. But, being fragile, it ripped. The two jagged pieces fluttered to the ground and I stared at them, hot tears welling up in my eyes. I collapsed to the ground and cried. I cried because of Utena. Because of ChuChu. Because of the damn rose petal and because I just couldn't seem to keep anything I loved close to me.  
  
I don't know how long I was there but by the time I heard the footsteps behind me, I was too tired to care.  
  
"Anthy?" It was a cautious voice.  
  
I didn't have to look up to know who it was. "What do you want?" I asked bitterly.  
  
"You were crying."  
  
This time I looked up and saw a very distressed Utena. "So what? Leave me alone."  
  
Utena looked ready to cry as well. She sniffed and said shakily, "Look, Anthy. I'm sorry about ChuChu but you didn't have to get so pissed at me about it. I didn't do anything to him. I know I acted like a bitch too though and I came up to say I'm sorry and that I, um, I lo-" She was talking too rapidly.  
  
I stood up, interrupting her, and put a hand over her mouth. "Shh, I know. I love you too." Utena looked visibly relieved. "Let's not fight ever again, okay?" I took my hand away and brushed a piece of her hair from her face.  
  
"Anthy…" she began, trailing off as she leaned towards my mouth.  
  
We kissed there in the roses, as the moon and stars came out and cast ethereal light around us. Afterwards, we sat down together, embracing. I put my head on her shoulder and she held me tight, like she never wanted to let go. And, we stayed there like that… lost in a perfect moment.  
  
  
  
ChuChu:  
  
It was beginning to get dark out but I took no notice. I had gone around the school and dorm buildings numerous times, desperately looking for Anthy. She must have realized by now that I was missing and I felt bad for making her worry.  
  
Obliviously, I rounded another corner (I wasn't even sure which one) and almost ran right into a pair of shiny black shoes. I jumped to the side and was about to go on when a hand grasped my middle and I was lifted off the ground.  
  
"So we meet again, ChuChu," came a sweet voice and I was paralyzed with fear. 


	5. Do you believe in magic?

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Utena.  
  
Author's note: I hope everyone likes this chapter (sorry it's so long!). In it, a darker side of Tsuki is revealed…who is she really??  
  
Chp.4  
  
ChuChu:  
  
It was her. The blonde girl from the garden. Holding me. Her fingers were actually touching me. She looked different now though. It was her hair. It wasn't quite as long as before, but she was still wearing the familiar school uniform.  
  
I was so scared I felt ready to throw up but instead I went limp in her hand, closed my eyes tightly and waited for what she would do.  
  
She laughed and cocked her head to one side. "What's the matter? Am I really that scary?"  
  
Don't kill me, don't kill me, don't kill me, oh please god, oh please please please!  
  
"I'm not going to kill you ChuChu. Don't be stupid."  
  
I opened my eyes and met her green ones. In a crazy, mindless moment, I guessed she really could read my thoughts. But how?  
  
She shrugged. "I don't know. It's just something I do." Then, she sat down, leaning against the cool brick wall and crossed her legs, her knees cracking. She set me in her lap, facing towards her. We stayed like this in silence, me gazing up in awe and horror at this strange creature while she stared in the direction of the sky, at the first stars that night.  
  
What did she want with me?  
  
She looked down solemnly and answered, "I only want to grant your wish, ChuChu."  
  
My wish? I could recall her saying that she knew I had made a "wish to the moon", but wishes were vain hopes and they most definitely didn't come true.  
  
"You want to be human. You want Anthy to love you," she paused and rested one hand on her leg, "and I can make that happen." She seemed to be begging me to believe her. Did she know how crazy it sounded? I considered bolting again but then something settled into my mind. The fact that she even knew all this. No, it was just a fluke.  
  
"Look ChuChu, I know this will be hard to believe but you've got to." She sighed and said, " I am a demon. The demon of the moon."  
  
Sure. That made it so much more convincing. I was truly dumbfounded. What would a "moon demon" be doing trying to help out a pathetic monkey who wanted to be a human being? I crawled out of her lap and onto the ground. I was leaving. I took a couple steps before her voice called me back. "ChuChu, please don't go. I know how badly you want this."  
  
I felt myself starting to turn back around but then I stopped. This was total bullshit. Yet, I wondered (somewhere in the dark regions of my mind) if she could really help me…no, it was impossible. Impossible! People don't just appear claiming to be genie-like demons that fulfill my every whim and desire.  
  
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was passing up my only chance. Or maybe it was just because I wanted it so bad that I was becoming desperate. Severely desperate.  
  
I heard her voice once more. "If you decide to take up my offer, meet me in the observation point at midnight. I'll wait for you." It sounded as if she already knew my decision.  
  
I whirled and saw…nothing. She was gone.  
  
Anthy:  
  
It was almost 9 o'clock when Utena and I left the garden. We had stayed for a while, talking and crying, but now we were descending the steps, our hands intertwined. She was talking about some new girl in her class but I felt my attention start to wander. I glanced back toward the garden and sighed.  
  
Utena stopped walking mid-sentence and, using her hand, guided my face so I was looking at her. "What's wrong? You haven't listened to a word I've been saying."  
  
Whoops, she had noticed after all. "Um, nothing."  
  
"Nothing? You're thinkin' about ChuChu again aren't you?"  
  
"I guess."  
  
"You guess? You were. We just spent like an hour talking about it," she said. I thought I detected a small hint of annoyance.  
  
I shrugged and stared down at the steps. "We've never been apart for this long and I…I'm just still worried, okay?"  
  
Utena groaned and smiled forcibly. "I said I would help you look for him tomorrow, remember? Besides, he's only been gone for one day. He probably just needed some space—"  
  
"You don't understand!"  
  
Utena winced and sat down on the steps with an expression of surprise. "God, I know you're upset but you don't have to yell at me."  
  
Had I been yelling?  
  
"Look Utena, I just mean that I've known ChuChu longer than you and he needs me—"  
  
"I need you too." The annoyance was back in her voice. "He's a fugitive monkey for chrissake. He can take care of himself."  
  
I sat down next to her and glanced into beautiful blue eyes laced with trouble. "I really care about him and I don't ever want to be away from him like this again." I reached for Utena's hand but she snatched it from me and laughed bitterly.  
  
"What are you laughing for?"  
  
She stood up and glared down at me. "Well, it just, uh, seems really funny that you seem to care more about what happens to that fucking monkey than your own fiancé, Anthy. I feel like I'm being forgotten, and it hurts. A lot." She turned and started back down the steps.  
  
I couldn't believe what she had just said. "Utena, wait!" I called. She didn't respond except to say, "Talk to me when you get your priorities strait."  
  
I collapsed against the rocky stairs as tears began trickling down my face again. Why do I always mess up what I'm trying to say?  
  
  
  
ChuChu:  
  
It was dark now and I was still walking around. Still trying to make sense of what had happened. So lets just say this girl really was a wish- granting demon. Could she make me human? It sounded more absurd every time I thought about it but something inside me kept saying "What if? What if it was for real?" She sounded convincing anyway. What if I could become human and…be with…no, it just couldn't be.  
  
I thought about her offer and decided that I would go to the garden tonight. Not because I believed it but because if I didn't she might not leave me alone. So, I might as well just go and see that it's all a fake.  
  
Happy with my logic, I skipped along, nearing the stairs to Anthy's rose garden. I stopped and stared up, and even in the dark could see how majestic it was from so far below. Ah, Anthy…is it possible to love someone this much? It was such a good feeling and it made my fur bristle with excitement. Love, love, love. What a wonderful word!  
  
I was still in this stupor when I was suddenly kicked hard from behind causing me to squeal in pain. Something fell over me and hit the ground hard.  
  
"What the fuck?" it growled and I recognized the voice. It was Utena.  
  
Utena:  
  
Walking away from Anthy was one of the hardest things I've ever done and I fought back the tears, but how could she say something like that? I thought I was more important to her than some flea-bitten, ass scratching, good-for-nothing little…I stopped my angry thought process when I saw I had reached the bottom of the stairs. I took a step off and…tripped over something small.  
  
I hit the ground with enough force to kill anything trapped underneath me and sat up quickly, stunned and cursing. It was dark and I struggled to make out what I had tripped over and then I saw it. ChuChu. The little asshole was staring up at me with smug beady eyes, like he had planned the whole thing. I wanted to rip his head off.  
  
Instead I reached down, picked him up and shoved him in one of my pockets roughly. "You're coming with me. Do you know how much shit you put Anthy through?"  
  
He didn't make a sound, like I expected. "I'm gonna take you back to the dorm and you're gonna stay there until Anthy gets back."  
  
I got up and began walking towards our dorm building stopping every once in a while to yell some more at him. When I reached it, I unlocked the door, went inside, went up to our room and reached for the doorknob. I started turning it and then realized with a start that it was already unlocked. I stuck my head inside and noticed the lights were all on too. I remembered turning them off.  
  
I stepped through the door and was about to ask, "Who's here?" when a husky, "Hello Utena Tenjou," interrupted me. Someone stepped out from the bedroom into my line of sight. It was…Tsuki?  
  
I took a step back, scared shitless, and said,"What are you doing here? How did you get in?"  
  
She walked up to me slowly, her skirt swishing back and forth, and put her arms around my neck. "That doesn't matter. We're here together now."  
  
A hot blush crept across my face and I forgot about ChuChu, Anthy and everything else bothering me. "W-What are you talking about Tsuki? Why were you here? In my bedroom?"  
  
She smirked and leaned towards my ear. "I thought we might be able to use it tonight, Utena."  
  
What the hell was she talking about? I pushed her away, hard, and she fell back against the wall. "Get out of here, Tsuki. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm engaged to someone right now."  
  
She stared at me with a hurtful expression, like I had just killed her cat or something, and then, pushing off from the wall with her hands, propelled herself back at me. She crashed into my chest and I was heaved into the side of the doorframe. Then, oh god, her arms were slipping down my middle and her lips were on mine and she tasted so…good. I was falling away…away…from reality and I took in the sweetness of her and then I grabbed her too, held her away from me… and swung.  
  
The sound of my open palm connecting with the side of her face was deafening in the otherwise silent room. Her eyes went wide as a thin splatter of blood flew downward, staining her pristine blouse, and then she crumpled to the floor in shock.  
  
"Get out…before…I…hurt…you…" I managed to choke out angrily. "I don't want…to see…you around here…again…" I wanted to put my fist through the goddamn wall.  
  
Amazingly, Tsuki got to her feet, trembling, and began going out the door without so much as an "Ow!". She turned when she had one foot out, and said softly, blood trickling from her bottom lip, "You will come to me soon. Willingly."  
  
"Leave now," I said warningly. She obeyed and sauntered away. I listened to her slow footsteps for awhile, as they echoed down the hall, until they faded away and then, after closing the door (and locking it), went into the bedroom and threw myself on the bed. Why did this have to happen? Did she get the wrong signals from me? I didn't know. Maybe she figured that since me and Anthy were fighting, it was the perfect opportunity to make a pass at me…  
  
I had just buried my head in the soft pillow when I heard a muffled squeak from beneath me. I turned over and faced a gasping ChuChu, struggling to get out of my pocket. I had forgotten he was there.  
  
"Sorry buddy, you ok?" I was a little surprised at my concern for the home-wrecker. He wheezed a couple more times before finally climbing out and on to the bed. We stared at each other and suddenly I felt like we had an…understanding of one another. I saw that he didn't mean to hurt Anthy, he just wanted to be alone like everyone does once in a while. I saw that maybe he really loved her like I did. He stared for awhile longer and then shut his eyes and curled up close to me. He must have been exhausted.  
  
I heard the front door shut and the sounds of someone walking briskly to the bedroom. I looked toward the open door and saw Anthy peering in at us, her face red and splotchy from crying. She took a step inside and opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her. "Everything's alright now, I found him by the foot of the stairs to your garden."  
  
She looked visibly relieved. "I'm sorry about…up on the stairs…I didn't mean…" she tried to say but she had a hard time getting out the right words.  
  
I motioned for her to come closer and she did, lying down next to me on the bed, ChuChu between us. He was asleep by now and Anthy began stroking his fur.  
  
"I know you didn't mean what I thought you did, Anthy and I'm sorry I got mad again."  
  
"It's okay. Just hold me tonight, okay?"  
  
I nodded and took her in my arms, and we stayed like that for a long time, our hearts beating in time together. As I watched her breath gradually slow and her eyes close, I made a promise to never tell her what had happened that night with Tsuki. I didn't want to ruin this moment, and all other moments like this to come, so instead I gave in to sleep as Anthy had done and together …we dreamed.  
  
ChuChu:  
  
I awoke from the dream, drenched with sweat and breathing hard. It had been horrible. I was in the garden again, sitting among the roses when something came up behind me. It was the blonde girl again but when I looked around, she had…she had changed. Into a demon liked she claimed to be, her skin charred and black, hideous wings protruding from her writhing backside and claws the size of machetes wrapped around herself. She began laughing and clawing at me, repeating, "Do you want to be human? Do you want Anthy?" and I couldn't move, I just couldn't move my body at all.  
  
Then she had stopped clawing and said, "Well, you can't have Anthy because…I killed her… I tore off her head and I drank her blood …and ChuChu, I drank it all and it…it tasted so good…. and now I'm going to drink yours …and it will taste even sweeter…" and she began laughing again and then, dark viscous blood started to pour onto the ground and I looked up and it was coming from her, from her skin and out of her eyes… and as she continued to laugh, it sprayed in thick streams from her mouth and it…it was coating me…and I…couldn't breathe…  
  
That's when I had woken up. It had seemed so real that for a moment I expected her to be towering over me, the blood streaming, but instead I saw Utena's face and realized I was still in the bed. I looked to the left and saw Anthy there too.  
  
As I got to my feet, something caught my eye. The clock. It was midnight. Wasn't I supposed to do something right now….? I tried to remember and about a minute later it hit me like a ton of bricks. Meet me in the observation point at midnight, she had said.  
  
If I went, I would see once and for all if she was pulling my leg. I jumped onto Anthy's arm, climbed to her hip and jumped to the bed and then onto the cold floor. This reminded me of the night before when I had escaped to the garden for solitude, and I suddenly felt bad for running away again. I had to be back before the sun rose or Anthy would have a fit.  
  
I scurried across the room and then, after getting on to the window sill, saw my fatal mistake. The window was closed. How would I get out? I was about to go back to the bed when I noticed something else. Although the window was closed…it was unlocked. With a sigh of relief, I pushed very hard on it and it opened a small crack, enough to allow my access. Yes, I was free! I stopped for a moment before preceding and realized that, very soon, I might be faced with the unveiling of an elaborate hoax or, quite possibly, I was actually on my way to a date…with destiny. 


	6. Becoming real

Disclaimer: Although I would love to be the owner of Utena, sadly I am not….  
  
Author's notes: Hello again everyone!! I am totally hyper right now so I hope I can write this chapter without losing my mind…oh well, enjoy!!  
  
Chp. 5  
  
ChuChu:  
  
The moon was a sliver smaller than the night before, but I wasn't very concerned with it at the moment, even though I was bathed in its mysterious light. I ran like my life depended on it, like if I wasn't there soon, then I would pass up my once in a lifetime chance.  
  
Flashes of the evening went through my mind. I wasn't sure what had actually taken place but I knew it wasn't good. I mostly heard sounds (pockets are sorta hard to see through) and voices; Utena and some girl that sounded very familiar but I didn't know who it was. The girl said something about using the bedroom and I heard Utena telling her to get out. Then there was a long silence which was soon broken by the sounds of someone getting hit. I don't know if it was Utena or the girl…anyway, Utena yelled at her again and then there was silence and the door closed. Like I said before, I have no real idea of what happened.  
  
I at last reached the long flight of stairs leading to the observation point and my breath caught in my chest. What was I about to find out? Nervousness gnawed violently at my stomach and I was overwhelmed with…what? Anticipation? I took a couple of moments to compose myself and then took that first crucial step, that first step toward something I couldn't begin to explain.  
  
When I got to the top, I stepped inside and saw…nothing. Nothing at all. No blonde girl. Not even a breeze played through the stale air that surrounded me. I wanted to throw myself from the edge of the balcony. How could I have been so stupid? Of course she wouldn't be here. It was all a joke to freak me out.  
  
I sighed and turned around, facing the stairs once more. They seemed to stretch on endlessly into the night, going forever and ever and ever—  
  
"You came," declared a voice to my immediate right.  
  
I shifted my focus to the side, and peered into a bright green eye. The other half of her face and most of her body was concealed by the piercing darkness that filled the corner she kneeled in. I then heard the sounds of her crawling towards me and she made herself more visible, opting to sit on the top stair with her legs reaching down three more then kneeling again. She was still in the school uniform and it seemed strange apparel for someone like her. I didn't seem like something a "demon" would wear.  
  
I knew she could tell what I was thinking so I looked down instead of directly into her face. I didn't want to look at her because I honestly thought that if I did she might not be a girl anymore, but that revolting creature from my dream, waiting to kill me.  
  
"That isn't what I really look like, you know. My real form wouldn't just disgust you…it would probably give you a brain aneurysm, killing you instantly. You would 'die of fright'," she chuckled softly.  
  
I shivered from the gravity of her statement but something occupied my mind. Would I actually become human tonight?  
  
She ran a finger across the smooth steps and clicked her nails against it, the sound echoing strangely in the emptiness that we were apart of. "If that is what you truly want, then, yes, you will."  
  
Why did she want to help me anyway? I realized that I had never really thought of that particular thing.  
  
"Well, you see, like I said before, I am a demon. I have certain powers and abilities, like reading your mind. I can also grant wishes." She paused for a moment to smooth out her skirt and then continued. "A great number of people make requests to the stars at night, asking to make the person of their dreams come to them and such, but very few turn to the moon. Because of this, whenever someone calls upon me for aid, I am so happy that I want to grant whatever they ask, even if it's something completely absurd."  
  
Do you find my wish absurd? Am I the only one with a wish like this?  
  
She cocked her head to one side. "Yes and no. You are the first one ever to have a wish like this. It only sounds farfetched because I thought you would be happy as a monkey."  
  
Well, I sure as hell am not.  
  
"I see…would you like me to show you a trick that will make you believe that I really am a demon? Your mind keeps asking if it's a lie."  
  
All right then, prove it. Make me a rose out of thin air.  
  
She seemed unfazed by my challenge. "I can't create something that hasn't previously existed where we are right now. I can only change what I am given. Understand? I can't bring a rose to you from nowhere, but if you gave me a rock, I could make a rose from that."  
  
I reached down and pried a loose piece of rock from the step, set it beside her and pushed it closer. She picked it up, cupped it in both her hands as if forming a protective shield, and pressed her lips to it. I stared patiently, waiting.  
  
For a moment, nothing happened but then I saw it…start to get bigger. What I witnessed was nearly indescribable but, the pebble, it elongated slowly and I watched as gray, cracked leaves sprouted from the "stem" and as a small, crumbly bud followed it. A bright emerald color quickly started to spread from the bottom, up the length of the stem and then changed to a bloody crimson when it reached the bud. The bud burst open, spraying little bits of rock on me, and the petals showed their shy faces and the rose became…real.  
  
I was so scared, I nearly peed on the steps. Instead I, as calmly as possible, met her eyes once more. I knew now that everything she had said was true, or maybe I was just forcing myself to believe it because I was afraid of what she could do to me.  
  
"Do you believe now?"  
  
Do it. Make me…human.  
  
"Are you sure?" she ran her finger across the step again, pausing to touch the place the pebble had come from. The rose, in her other hand, was a brilliant, rich red and she pressed it into my paws. I gripped it tightly and nodded furiously. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen now.  
  
"Brace yourself."  
  
I wasn't quite sure what she meant, but it was too late to turn back now because I felt her soft lips on my head and I closed my eyes, letting the rose in my paws drop to the ground.  
  
Anthy:  
  
I sat straight up in the bed, panting, with my hands locked around the bedspread in a death grip. Where was I? I looked around several times before finally perceiving that I was in my bedroom. Utena was still next to me. I wasn't in the garden, like in my dream. It was so real and I could even caught the scent of roses in the air which otherwise smelled like old death. The garden was oddly distorted too; it was much too big and I couldn't even see where it ended. I was sitting in the dirt, covered in…blood? Yes, blood that was so dark it looked black stained my uniform and dripped into puddles on the ground and nearby was Utena. She was lying there so still, still as a corpse even and I called out but I didn't get an answer. That's when I saw the shorthaired girl leaning over her body, a knife in her hand, and she was covered in blood too. Utena's blood. And, then I had understood that she was lying like a corpse because…she was a corpse…and I screamed and screamed and the blonde just laughed at the sky… and that's when I had woken up. I licked my lips and tasted salt. My face was wet. I must have been crying in my sleep.  
  
The moonlight from the window stretched across the floor. The window was open. Open? I shifted and saw that the spot where ChuChu had been was empty. He had left again? Worry sprang back into my body and I was aware of reaching towards Utena's body to shake her awake and tell her, but I held back my hand at the last moment. I didn't want to bother her with this again and start another fight. I would just have to accept that my little pet needed space away from me sometimes. I was still a little sad though as I lay back down and closed my eyes. I thought that we were sort of, well, inseparable in a way but maybe he didn't see it like that. He was only a monkey after all and probably never thought about more than where his next meal was coming from so I guessed I was wrong to think he would freak out this much if, say, I left him for a day. Yes, that's the way it was.  
  
  
  
ChuChu:  
  
Her lips were surprisingly warm as she placed them on my head. I kept my eyes screwed up tight as if keeping them open even a crack might ruin the process.  
  
I felt her take her face away and I held my breath. For several moments I…stayed exactly the same. I realized that maybe this was just a load of crap and she was just some cheap magician who specialized in pulling fast ones over on gullible idiots. I couldn't believe that I had actually agreed to come here! I had begun to open my eyes when…it happened. It was like everything moved in slow motion. I became aware of the coldness in the room, the way she smelled like cinnamon, the sound of a cricket far off…  
  
A white-hot pain instantly seared up from the pit of my stomach and spread throughout my entire body, filling me. I screeched in agony and doubled over. The pain turned into what felt like burning, a horrible burning that scorched my insides and threatened to burst out of my skin and consume me. My screeches turned into squeals and then it was too intense for me to make any sound and I writhed on the ground, sweat drops falling, and oh god, I felt like I was about to fade into the realm of death.  
  
What was happening to me? She wasn't making me human. She was killing me. In my final moments, I felt my body start to stretch and tear apart, and then…the glorious darkness. 


	7. First steps

Disclaimer: I hope you people realize by now that I obviously don't own Utena or I would come up with a better fic!! ::realizes how pathetic she is and sulks::  
  
Author's notes: Um, hello once again. If you've put up with this fic till now, CONGRATULATIONS!! You're so sweet!!  
  
Chp.6  
  
ChuChu:  
  
My eyes fluttered open to the nearby sounds of a bird as it greeted the morning with a song. It was morning already? I began stretching my arms and legs out but had to stop right away and groaned, buckling up on the floor. My whole body ached with excruciating pain. It was nearly unbearable and I choked on my next few breaths. Besides the obvious, I felt strange in a different way. Like, I had become so much heavier all of a sudden.  
  
The smell of cinnamon flooded my nostrils and I had a sudden sense of déjà vu, accompanied with downright fear. What had happened to me?  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how painful it would be for a living organism." I saw the blonde's face appear in my line of sight, as I stared upward to the ceiling, quivering. I straightened out my body.  
  
Why was she here? Who…wait, the night before…it abruptly came back to me…  
  
The blonde. From the garden. Her offer. My decision. The observation point. The rose. The hideous pain of becoming…real…was I really…real? Was I really…human? I dropped my chin to my chest and stared at my body, prickling with anticipation.  
  
What I saw was…two, long arms with hands at the ends. Human arms and hands. Muscular legs that dissolved into moderately sized feet. Human legs and feet. A lean, human stomach that rose slowly up and down with each breath. I tested out my fingers, curling and uncurling them cautiously. By chance, my lips slid over my teeth and formed my first smile. Human. All human. I was…I was really…I was really, truly—I wanted to scream and jump but when I moved slightly, the pain flashed through me once more and I grimaced. This was unbelievable.  
  
"You do know what 'vocal cords' are, right?" she looked at me like I had grown an extra head. "Try to say something." She was kneeling by head, still looking down.  
  
Say something? I had never had the ability to put my thoughts into words before. I had no idea how. Besides, I was still overwhelmed with this new me. Enormously overwhelmed.  
  
"You can do it, just take a thought and push it from your head to your mouth. Its fairly easy."  
  
That's what you say. I wanted desperately to see myself so that's what I focused on. I pushed it and pushed it further down and strained my throat. Nothing happened. I trained all my energy on trying to do it and I felt a gurgling begin somewhere, my tongue rose and—"Mirror!" gasped out. I, without even thinking, clasped my hands over my mouth, eyes wide with shock.  
  
"I thought you'd never ask," and she was holding one suddenly, turning it over in her hands a couple times. Ah, hands. I had those now. I reached up but she held it away from me. "Get up and get it. You can stand can't you?"  
  
Annoyance ran through me and I stared hard at her. That forced my second word (sentence actually) out and I whispered, "I'll try to."  
  
And that's what I did. I first tightened my unused stomach muscles (which cramped instantly), set my palms against the floor and pushed. Sitting up for the first time was scary. I had never been more than a couple of inches high when sitting, but now I was at least 2 feet higher than that. A sense of vertigo overtook me and I started falling backwards again, but was caught and held up by her slender hands. That cinnamon smell invaded me once more and breathed it in deeply this time.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
I nodded but said nothing. When I tried to get up this time, she held my arms and rose with me. I clung to her pathetically as I unbent my knees and placed my body weight on them. After several, awkward attempts, I was able to balance on my own and she stepped away from me, smiling and looking me over. "You're naked," she finally declared.  
  
My head snapped down and I swayed, dangerously close to falling once more. I uttered my third and longest phrase since this all began. "I'm always naked. Who would care?"  
  
She shook her head and laughed, "Poor ChuChu. Poor naïve, little ChuChu. You're human now, remember? They don't just walk around naked and hope no one will notice— because believe me, they will notice. You've got a pretty appealing body now."  
  
I tried to brush off her statement but still felt heat spread to my cheeks. I was at a loss for words. She smiled and finally held up the mirror (I forgot she was holding it still). I slowly settled my gaze upon it and what was staring back at me…was beautiful. I was in awe and could scarcely believe that it was me. Icy blue eyes set in a tanned face with black hair. Me, this monkey in a man's body. This masquerade that made me delirious every time I thought about it. My opium. Just me, and at the same time, not me at all.  
  
"Like what you see?"  
  
I smiled, tears threatening to burst from my eyes. "Yes, oh god yes, but why am I about to cry?"  
  
"Happy tears of course," she said as-a-matter-of-factly, but to me it made no sense. Why would someone cry if they were happy? But, I didn't care. I was human now and that was all that mattered.  
  
Then, she handed me a uniform (which I hadn't noticed before), the shirt and pants neatly folded and said, "Here, put this on before someone sees you."  
  
Utena:  
  
Anthy and me decided to spend lunch up in the observation point. She was pulling me along by the hand at a surprising rate and saying, "Come on! Before someone else gets there first!" even though no one ever went up there but us.  
  
She gripped the handle of a wicker basket, full of delicious food like curry, sushi, and some sake that she took from her brother's room in a wild moment of thoughtlessness. I tried to supress my laughter but it was no use…  
  
"What are you laughing at?" she asked, out of breath, as we neared the bottom of the steps.  
  
"You look so cute when you're determined."  
  
"I know," she said shamelessly, causing me to erupt into another round of mad giggling. Halfway up the steps, she stopped and turned to me. "Do you hear something?"  
  
I was about to say no when, in fact, I actually heard sounds begin drifting down from above. It sounded like a boy and girl talking excitedly but hushed. "Yeah I do."  
  
"I hope they won't bother us," she murmured.  
  
"They won't," and we continued on our way. At the top, I saw a startling scene. There was a boy and girl there, but they had stopped talking. The boy, who was very handsome, sat cross-legged on the floor, buttoning his shirt, which somewhat exposed his muscular chest. The girl leaned against the balcony, her hands cradling her face. It was Tsuki.  
  
"Tsuki," I half gasped and became aware of Anthy giving me a puzzled look.  
  
Anthy blushed. "Are we interrupting something?"  
  
The boy looked up, smiling, but the smile dropped when his eyes fell on Anthy. He seemed…shocked to see her. Silently, he got up and broke for the steps, bounding down them without a look behind him. Anthy watched him go and her mouth began forming a question when Tsuki spoke.  
  
"Oh, Utena and Anthy, how nice to see you two again."  
  
"Yeah," I muttered and squeezed Anthy's arm a little tighter, simultaneously stepping closer to her body.  
  
Anthy frowned and held up a finger. "Who was the guy?"  
  
Tsuki answered a bit to quickly, "That was my brother. He just transferred here today."  
  
"Why did he run out?"  
  
"He's really shy."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
Tsuki walked past us and waved. "I'm going to go find him and leave you here to eat lunch. Bye!" and she skipped down the steps. I could've sworn that she gave me a come-hither glance as she went…  
  
ChuChu:  
  
How could I have been such an idiot? She was right there and I did nothing. Nothing. I didn't even say hi. God, I'm so pathetic.  
  
I rested against a wall, mentally kicking myself numerous times when someone tapped my shoulder. It was a girl. She had a short brown ponytail and huge green eyes that sparkled.  
  
"Hi, I'm Wakaba. What's your name?" 


	8. Pen and paper

Disclaimer: I don't own SKU  
  
Author's note: I'm baaaaaaaack. Sorry this chapter is so short!!  
  
Chp. 7  
  
Wakaba:  
  
1 Oh my god! He is so gorgeous!! Is he new? I haven't seen him before…  
  
ChuChu:  
  
Wakaba stepped forward and hugged me tightly, pressing her body into my chest. I gasped and she let go. "Welcome to Ohtori!"  
  
"Um…," I wasn't sure what to say.  
  
"You never told me your name."  
  
"It's uh, Saru, uh, Nezumi," I lied. It was the first name I thought of.  
  
"That's so cute!" she squealed.  
  
I winced and rubbed my ears. "I have to go."  
  
She looked crestfallen. "Oh. I wanted to show you around the place."  
  
"I know my way."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive." I had been around here so many times, I knew it like the back of my hand. I even knew of all the secret places that no one had ever seen.  
  
"Well, I better go to lunch then. See you around, Saru." And she skipped away, waving.  
  
I watched her go and then leaned back against the wall. Now, how was I going to get to Anthy? She obviously wouldn't recognize me now. And, how would she react if "Chu Chu" never came home?  
  
"Why don't you write her a letter?" it was the blonde girl. She had come up beside me silently as usual.  
  
"A letter? I can't write. What would I say anyway? 'Dear Anthy, I love you? And by the way, its me ChuChu except that now I look like a guy?' She would tear it up."  
  
"I'll write it for you if you just tell me what you want to say to her."  
  
"You would?"  
  
"Of course," and as I knew, she already held the pen and paper. "By the way, why did you leave when she walked in? I had to tell them you were my shy brother."  
  
I would have thought the answer would come easily to her, but I spoke nevertheless. "If I had been ChuChu, she would have scooped me up and held me. I'm not him anymore. I can't just run to her whenever I see her, so I ran away instead, because it hurt to know that she wouldn't realize I was her stupid pet."  
  
"Hm."  
  
I sniffed. "You're a demon. You can't understand." She didn't say anything, so I continued. "I can't just write her confessing my love. It would scare her away."  
  
"But you need to let her know."  
  
"Do I? Why? I want to just be close to her as a human for now. I just want to know in my heart that I'm so much closer to obtaining her."  
  
"What about Utena?"  
  
Damn. I hadn't thought of that. Utena would surely put up a ferocious fight if I wrote a letter to Anthy about my feelings. This was a new tear in my already shredded heart. I would die if I had to keep loving her from afar. I would— "I don't want to steal her from Utena. I don't want to cause more heartache."  
  
"No no no. Utena is merely an obstacle we must conquer. If you write this letter and Anthy responds well, we will see that she was never really attached to her 'prince'."  
  
No, I couldn't do that. I couldn't rip apart two people for my own sake. "I can't do that. Maybe I will write a letter, but not today. I want Anthy to know before I tell her. If I do. I'm perfectly content with just being by her side."  
  
"Are you really?"  
  
Of course I wasn't, but I did have morals. The only way I could be with her and still feel good about myself was if she came to me of her own free will. That was highly unlikely to happen though.  
  
Utena:  
  
I had no idea that horrible bitch had a brother. I hope he isn't like her. He didn't look like her anyway. He looked much nicer and less conniving; a new friend perhaps? The only thing that seemed weird was the way he reacted around Anthy. He looked like she had just shot him. Wouldn't that be funny if he had a crush on her? 


	9. My new collar

Disclaimer: I wished I owned SKU but I don't…..  
  
Author's note: in this chapter….will "Saru" finally write his letter????????? Read and find out!  
  
  
  
Chp.8  
  
Anthy:  
  
Today in class, I tried talking to the new boy but he kept snubbing me. I don't know why he would act that way around me when I was just trying to be friendly. I mean, I wasn't going to bite him or anything. Well, maybe he'll come around soon. I hope.  
  
ChuChu:  
  
Now I know why humans hate school so much. I had to deal with the embarrassment of being called on to answer questions that I had never even heard of. The kids whispered about the "new kid" and I sat right next to Anthy and whenever she tried talking to me I kept my mouth shut. I was scared of blurting out something I would regret. I wanted to touch her and tell her I loved her so much but I couldn't risk saying it before she was ready to hear it. Being a human was so much harder than it seemed.  
  
All day long, a group of girls followed me and they wouldn't leave me alone. They wanted to know all about my past and frankly, I didn't have much of a past to tell them. The blonde girl rescued me though and told them that I was sick so they should stay away if they wanted to stay healthy. That sent them packing and I could finally enjoy some peace and quiet…  
  
"Come on Saru, lets go see what's happening with the rest of the world," she said, putting an arm around my shoulder. I realized that I had never told her my fake name, but of course, she knew it already.  
  
We were still walking when it happened. The horrible pain. It began as a dull aching in my side, causing me to stop for a second, and then escalated to the worst feeling imaginable. I honestly thought I was being stabbed in the stomach as I dropped to my knees, unable to scream because my breath had left me. My skin was too tight all of a sudden and it was choking, choking…and then it stopped. There was an unerving silence as I surveyed myself.  
  
"Whoops," she said. "I forgot."  
  
I was a monkey again. A disgusting, furry, misproportioned beast. I blinked a couple times just to make sure it was for real then gaped at her angrily. Why wasn't I human?  
  
"Well, you didn't expect to stay like this forever didja? You only remain human for an hour a day. It takes a lot of energy for me to keep you in that form you know."  
  
What? She could have told me this a loooooong time ago. I screeched the angriest "Chu!" I could muster.  
  
"Don't bite my head off. You'll change again tomorrow. At 4am. Happy now?"  
  
No I wasn't but I nodded nonetheless. It was better than nothing. I would merely have to wait it out.  
  
We continued on our walk, me perched on her shoulder. She waved to the same group of girls that had bothered me earlier. They rushed over and said (almost in perfect unison) "Hi Tsuki!" Well, now I knew her name finally. Apparently, she had become pretty popular since her first day here.  
  
"Oh my god! You're brother is soooooo cute! His name is Saru, right?" Ha, they thought I was cute? They didn't even realize I was staring them in the face presently. Girls could be such complete airheads.  
  
"Yes," Tsuki said. She reached up and poked my stomach. "Have you all met ChuChu?"  
  
They all giggled and prodded me mercilessly until one (less airheaded than the others) questioned, "Isn't that Himemiya's pet?"  
  
"I was just on my way to return him to her."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well, I have to get going then, okay?"  
  
"Yeah sure. Come on girls!" and they all skipped away, talking amongst themselves.  
  
Tsuki waited until they were out of the line of hearing and muttered, "Idiots."  
  
Guess she had agreed with me.  
  
Anthy:  
  
I was sitting under a cherry blossom tree when a shadow fell across my lap, startling me. I looked up and saw Tsuki. On her shoulder was…ChuChu! I jumped up and grabbed him. "Where did you find him?"  
  
She shrugged. "Wandering around. Keep an eye on him."  
  
"Thank you. I will." Tsuki walked off, glancing over her shoulder once to smile.  
  
I watched her go, cradling ChuChu protectively in my arms. I sat back down and chastised him. "Why do you keep running away?"  
  
"Chu!"  
  
"What am I going to do with you? Hm?"  
  
"Chu."  
  
I laughed and hugged him to my chest. "Hey, look what I got for you," I said, producing a shiny black collar from my bag (which lay nearby). His eyes lit up as I slipped it around his neck and fastened it.  
  
"Chu Chu!" he chirped happily. I tousled the fur on his head and he settled down.  
  
"Now, if you get lost again, they will bring you back. I printed your name and mine on the inside with whiteout."  
  
"Chu."  
  
Ah, today was good… 


End file.
